Core drill with clock operated photographic means for ascertaining dip



Jan. 24, 1933. G. A. MACREADY CORE DRILL WITH CLOCK OPERATED PHOTOGRAPHIC MEANS FOR ASCERTAINING DIP Filed April 2l. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet nun nnnuunuuh l).

Jan. 24, 1933. G, A, MACREADY 1,894,996

CORE DRILL WITH CLOCK OPERATED PHOTOGRAPHIC MEANS FOR ASCERTAINING DIP Filed April 2l, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIII A92 o c GTT@ 1PA/EY Patented Jan. 24, 19,33

AUNITED STATES lGEORGE A. HACBEAD'Y, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA GOREk DRILL WITH CLOGK OPERATED PHOTOGRAPHIC MEANS FOB ASGERTAINING DIP application med april a1,

This invention relates to core drills pf the type commonly used 'in the investigation of underground formations during the boring of a well or test hole, and is more particularly a core drill equipped with relatively stationary means for receiving a core, and clock operated photographic means for determining the orientation and inclination of the core at a predetermined time.

This invention may be considered as a modification of the core barrel shown in my co-pending application, Serial No. 107,980, which was filed may 10, 1926, and comprises modifications and improvements therein, eliminating certain structural complexities, and resulting in a much simpler construction which may be more economically manufactured and assembled.

The extensive use of core drills for the determination of underground structure will be appreciated by thosefamiliar with the art to which this invention relates, and it is a principal object of this invent-ion to develop a core drillparticularly adapted for exploration work, in which the direction and angle of dip in the underground strata may be accurately determined.

'It will be apparent that in Work of this kind it is necessary to obtain a core which remains substantially stationary relative to the formation during its extraction, thatpis, one

which is not twisted or crumbled by the ac tion of the core drill, and it is a further important feature that in c se the core is twisted, o means should be provid d for indicating the position and extent of the distortion. It is also necessary, morder that the direction and angle of dip in the strata may be identified by means of the core, that means be provided for recording the orientation and the angle of the inclination from the vertical of the core in its original position in the formation.

It is, therefore, a further object ofthis invention to develop a core barrel of the class 1928. Serial No.V 271,932.

described, in which photographic means associated with an accurate core aligning organization are provided for recording the orientation and inclination of cores recovered from underground strata with increased e precision.

It is a still further object of this invention to develop a clock mechanism for operating the above mentioned photographic recording organization, which is provided with adjustable means for varying the time of exposure, in keeping with the condition of operation.

Other objects and advantageous structural features of my invention will be best appreciated from the following description of the accompanying drawings, illustrating an embodiment of my invention and in which Fig. l is an elevational view, partially in section, showing a core barrel assembly embodying my invention.

Fig. 2a is an enlarged sectional elevation, taken substantially along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and illustrating details in the upper part of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 2b is an enlarged view, similar to Fig. 2a but showing the details in the lower part of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan section, taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2a, 75 showing details in the construction of the clock mechanism.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial elevational view, showing the clock mechanism substantially as indicated by arrow 4 in Fig. 3.

Fig.. 5 is an enlarged partial elevational view, showingthe commutator and stop substantially as indicated by arrow 5 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged partial section along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5. 85

Fig. 7 is a cross section through the commutator, substantially along gtheline 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a section along the' line 8'f8 of Fig. 6. Y 9

ven

Fig. 9 is a section along the line 9-9 of Fig. 6.

Fig; 10 is a fragmentary view, illustrating thep manner of attaching aninsulated support, as indicated by the arrow 10 in Fig. 4.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a compass and photographic plate used in my invention, and

Fig. 12 is a view illustrating a formof chart used in orientin'g a core from a photo graphic record obtained in my invention.

More particularly describing my invention as herein illustrated,.reference numeral 11 indicates the lower end of a drill string, having mounted therein a tool joint l2. The tool joint 12 is provided with a central fluid circulating passage 13, and downwardly terminates in an extendingy` bearing cone 14, which has a plurality of iuid circulating passages or ports indicated at l5 formed therein, and a lower pointed end which may be provided with stellite or other suitable hard bearing metal, indicated by reference numeral 16.

The lower end of the tool joint may also be provided with a shell protecting collar or shield 14', which is removably retained thereon in any preferred manner, such as the spot welds 15', and which is adapted to protect a shell or other barrel member from the abrasive action of a circulating mud or iluid coming from the ports 15.

The tool joint 12 downwardly receives what may be termed an outer core cutting barrelor shell 17, the lower end of which is provided-with a cutting bit 18, which may be of any suitable form, but is illustrated as having the shape of an inverted frustral cone, which is provided with outwardly and diagonally extending cutting teeth 20, and has a lurality of fluid circulating apertures 21, a apted to direct the circulating fluid against the cutting face of the teeth 20.

The cutting bit 18 is internally provided with what may be termed a, chambered section 22, having a shoulder vl/23 downwardly formed therein. The upper end 24 of the cutting bit forms an upper hearing shoulder, which is adapted to support an inner core receiving and orienting organization, generally indicated .by reference numeral 25, as will be hereinafter described.

The mentioned core receiving and orient.- ing organization comprises a lower core receiving .barrel 26, upon which a core'cutting nose 27 is mounted in any s uitablel manner, as by means of the rivets 28, and this nose is illustrated as being provided with a plurality of slots 29, which receive .core breakers 30. illustrated as being downwardly supported upon a plurality of resilient. lingers 3l, which in turn are upwardly retaineduponthe lower end vof the core barrel 26 within suitable channels 32, supported therein by any suitable means such as rivets 33.

Upon an upward movement of an outer barrel 17 relative tothe inner barrel 26, the outer surfaces of the core breakers 30 are brought intoengagement with the shoulder 23 and are thereby forced inwardintoen-k .threaded section being adapted to receive a' channeled tubular member 39, upon the top of which a valve 40 is adapted to rest. The function of this mentioned valve passage from the interior of the inner core receiving barrel is to permit the egress of fluid from the core receiving chamber, due to the-upward advance o f the core therein.

In order that the lower end 27 of the core receiving barrel 26 .may be properly positioned relative to the lower ends of the core cutting bit 18 (suoli position being governed by the character of the formation from which the core is being taken), a plurality of spacing members indicated at 42 are placed between the upper edge 43 of the core receivinglr barrel and the lower inner surface 44 of the mentioned suppo-rting member 35.

The upper solid portion of the supporting member 35 is provided with an externally threaded section 45, which receives the lower end of a tubular member 46, which may be termed, for the purpose of description. an instrument case or an instrument protecting member.

The upper threaded end 45 of the mentioned supporting member 35 is centrally provided with an upwardly extending projection 47, which is externally threaded, and

the external threads of the projection receive a compass protecting collar 48, within which a compass 49 is supported upon a cent-rallyl positioned pin 50, mounted upon a plate supporting member 51 which, in turn, is carried by the upwardly extending projection 47.

A photographic plate 52 is adapted to be placed upon a plate supporting member 5l, tlie plate being held inplace within the collar 4 8 by an internal sleeve 53, which is retained therein b y an upper internally threaded ring 54.

A plate of Celluloid, mica or other similar transparent substance, indicated at 55, is preferably placed above the compass, and is held in position between the sleeve 53k and the threaded ring 54.

An inner light and battery supporting tubular member 56 surrounds the compass and the compass protecting collar 48 and extends termed an illuminating chamber 57, whichy is preferably provided with a non-actinie lining and which upwardly terminates in a shoulder 58, adapted to support a light re- Hector 59, having a light bulb 60 mounted therein by means of a threaded contact 60', and above which a battery 61 is supported in engagement, the battery being surrounded by an insulating tube 62.- An electrical switch organization, generally indicated at 63, is mounted within the instrument case 46 above the light supporting tubular mem- .ber 56. This organization comprises a clock,

which may beef the ordinary alarm clock type indicated at 64, on the back of or (as arranged in the tube) the lower end of which is an electrical contact organization generally indicated at 65, and downwardly provided with a battery contact 66, which supports the clock by means of arms 67, and through which the circuit from the battery may be completed to and through the tubular portion of the instrument case by means of an adjustable switch or commutator organization 68, as will be hereinafter described.

A cupshaped member, indicated at 69,

s is mounted `above the clock face 70, and is adapted to prevent the engagement of the hands of the clock with any projecting surface and further to form an interposed bearing between the clock and the battery 61 therebelow anda spring 71 which is mounted above the upper face 72 of the cup-shaped member 69 and below a bearing plug 73, which is in external threaded engagement with the. inner-upper end of the instrument enclosing tube 46. The upper surface of the bearing plug .73 is providedy with a conical bearing depression 74, adapted to receive the downwardly extending conical bearing end 14 4of the tool joint 12.

It will be noted from the illustration in Figs. l and 2a, which show a preferred type of bearing element employed in this invention, that the conical bearing depression 74 in the bearing plug 73 is provided with a lower inner bearing section 75, which has the same inclination or cross sectional angle as the downwardly extending bearing point 14 upon the lower end of the tool joint 12` and 'the portion of the depression 74 above the section 75 is of a more obtuse angularity, such that the bearing surface resides in the stellite point 16` It will be understood that in order that the compass needle 52 may have a free action` the enclosing' tubes and parts associated ytherewith are necessarily made of bronze or some similar non-magnetic metal.

Thev clock-actuated switch or commutator organization, generally indicated by refer ence numeral 63, is more clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 to 10,finclusive, and comprises a 86, which is in mesh with a. gear 87, mountedk upon the lower end of what maybe termed a commutator shaft 88, which is in turn interposed between the lower face or back plate 89 of the clockand a bearing plate 90 which is supported from the lower face 89 by means of oppositely disposed legs 91 and 92, and is mounted upon the upper ends of arms 67.

This bearing plate 90 is provided with a non-conducting bearing member 93, which receives the lower end of a shaft 88, and is adapted to insulate the commutator shaft 88 from the batt-ery G1. j

The commutator shaft 88 supports what may be termed a commutator drum 94, which is composed of an inner non-conducting section .95, and has a plurality of conducting strips 96a, 965 and 960 upon the periphery thereof. These conducting strips may e retained upon the non-conducting drum 95 by any suitable means, such as the pins indif cated at 97, which extend through the ends of the strips and into the commutator shaft 88, and, as will be noted from the section shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, are of different lengths and are adapted to permit the How of electrical current through the commutator over different periods of time, thus providing an adjustment whereby the exposure of the sensitized sheet may be regulated in accordance with its sensitivity or the intensity of the bulb, or any other conditions which might affect the photographic impression of `the light 60, it will be noted that the supporting leg 92 is insulated from the lower face 89 of the clock 64, but that it is in constant electrical contact with the supporting arms 67, through the bearing plate 90, from which shaft 88 is insulated by the non-conducting bearing 93.

The arms 67 are, in turn, in Contact with the upper end of the battery through the Contact member 66. The supporting leg 92 is further provided with a laterally extending slot 98, which receives a threaded and laterally adjustable member 99, upon which an outwardly extending finger 100 is mounted, illustrated as forming an electrical contact between the leg member 92 and the com-n mutator strip 96h. It will be apparent that, through the lateral adjustment of the contact carrying member 99, the time of exposure may be readily adjusted by placing the contact finger 10() in engagement with any one of the contact strips 96a, 965 or 960.

In order that positive and uniform contact between the strips and the nger may be insured, the strips are provided with annular grooves, such as illustrated at 101. It will be noted from Fig. l6 that each of the contact strips has one end in a line common to all of the strips, and. in order that the rotation of the commutator may be stopped at thev termination of an exposure, stop means are provided, which are best illustrated in Figs, 5 and 6 as comprising a downwardly extending tubular member 102, mounted upon a suitab e insulatingmember 103 which, in turn, is supported upon the lower bearing plate 90 immediately below the lower face 104 of the commutator 94.

The insulating member 102 and the bearing plate 90 are provided with a pin receiving passage 105, which is illustrated as being coaxial with the tubular ,member 102, and is adapted. to slidably receive what may be termed a stop pin 106, the pin being retained within the tubular member by means of a cap 107 mounted thereon in any suitable manner, which inwardly engages a coil spring 108, `the upper end of which is iny .engagef ment with a collar 109, rigidly mounted upon the stop pin 106.

'Ihe stoppin 106 is illustrated as being provided with a handle or head 110, which has a projection 111 formedthereon, and the cap 107 is provided with a. cooperating notch 111', adapted to receive th projection 111 when this member is not engaged with a lower edge ofthe cap, and the pin 106 is in an inner or engaging position.

The lower vface 104 of the commutator drum 94, which is adjacent to the' bearing face 90, is provided with a pin receiving .opening 112 placed slightly behind the line of termination of the contact members 96a, 965 and 960 (as is best illustrated in Fig. 6), and it will be observed that the spring 108, through engagement with thecollar 109, is adapted to hold the upper end of the stop pin 106 in engagement with the lower face 104 mutator drum.

After the commutator drum has been rotated to a position at which the contact finger 100` is no longer in engagement with a contact strip, the pin receiving opening 112 is in a positionopposite the pin, as illustrated in Fig. 5, the pin being forced into the opening and the rotation of the commutator stopped, preventing a reexposure of the film which would otherwise take place in case the commutator was .permitted to rotate continuously until the alarm spring of the clock had run down. v

It will be understood that the path of the electrical current from theconducting finger 100 comprises: one of the conducting strips, the commutator shaft 88; the back plate of the clock 8 9 which is in contact with the instrument case 46; the upper threaded secof 'the comi tion of the supporting member 35; and the battery supporting tubular member 56,

which forms contact with the battery through the shoulder 58 and the light contact 60.

Fig. 10 illustrates a preferred manner of insulating the leg members -92 and 93 from the back plate of the clock, and is shown as comprising a flat inner insulating member 114 and a tubular insulating member 115,

which =surrounds a screw 116 and extends through an aperture 117 in the outwardly extending flange 118 formed on the engaging end of the leg.

The insulation is completed by mefans of an insulating washer or washers 119 interposed between the head of the screw and the outer face of the flange 118.

A preferred type of compass which may be used in combination with the herein described invention is illustrated in Fig. 11,.and. comprises the supporting plate 51 having the central compass bearing pin mounted therein.

A photographic paper or plate 52 of any preferredtype is mounted Aupon the upper face of the supporting plate 51.

The compass, lgenerally indicated by reference numeral 49, comprises a 4magnetic needle 125, provided with a central bearing 126 and downwardly -extending arms 127 which support an indicating needle 128.

By supporting the indicating needle below the compass in the manner/indicated, it will be observed that a plumbl bob effect is obtained, and by supporting this needle lrelatively near the photographic `paper 52, the

In order that the position of the core received by the inner core receiving barrel 26 may be definitely located relative to the image of the compass needle upon the photographic plate 52, the supporting member 35 is provided with a plurality-of accurately spaced and numbered lines, which are preferably spaced at radial distance of substantially ten degrees, and extend laterally alongthe periphery of the mentioned supporting member 35, as is best illustrated in Fig. 1.

The lower end of the inner core barrel 26 is provided with a key in the form of an inwardly extending projection 129,`- and a laterally extending mark or groove 130 is placed upon the outer surface of the core barrel in alignment with the mentioned key.

periphery of the supporting member is also recorded.

After the photographic paper has been eX- posed, removed and developed, it is placed upon a suitably prepared chart, which is provided with graduations corresponding to the lateral graduations upon the supporting member 35, such chart being indicated at 132 in Fig. 12.

The position of the punch mark indicated at 131 is placed opposite the graduation corresonding to the above mentioned graduation upon the supporting member 35 with which it was in line while in the barrel.

In this manner the exact position of the image ot the compass needle relative to the graduation which corresponds to themark 130 and the key 129 may be readily determined. It will be understood that the key 129 leaves a mark upon the core received by the barrel 26, and, knowing the position of this mark relative to the position of the cornpass needle at the time' the core was removed, as indicated by the exposed photopaper 52 when placed upon the chart 132, the orientation of the core may be readily and accurately determined. AThe mentioned plumb bob suspension ot'the compass needle is valuable in indicating the direction of inclination of the core, as will be apparent from the dotted line position of an image obtained in an inclined hole, as indicated at 133 in Fig. 12.

It will also be understood that the key 129 serves an additional purpose in indicating whether or not the core was twisted during its extraction and if the core is twisted, it will, of course, be apparent that the extent of the twist and the position at which it occurred will furnish additional information in making corrections in the data upon direction ot dip in the strata.

In the operation of a core barrel of the type herein described, the clock is set tobe released at a predetermined time in the usual manner, the time being anhour which the operator has, through previous experiments, determined will give him a suitable period of time in which to lower the instrument into the well and extract a core. The instrument is then assembled and lowered into the well,

and the rotation of the drill in the usual manner is continued until several minutes before the hour at which the time switch is to be released. This time is taken to permit the compass needle to come to rest, and after allowing a period for the completion of the exposure, the instrument is removed, the eX- posed plate is developed, and the data collected in the manner described above.

It will be understood that, while I have herein described a single embodiment of my invention, it is not limited to the specific construction set forth, but includes any changes or modifications which fairly come within the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

compass at a predetermined time; and means for determining the relation between the position of a photographed image of said compass and the position of a core in said barrel.

2. For use in combination with an'orienting core drill having a. core` receiving barrel, a. compass supporting member mounted upon the upper end thereof, a compass supporting pin mounted on the top of said supporting member, a compass rotatably mounted upon said pin, and a photographic plate upon said supporting member at the base of said pin, said compass comprising a magnetic needle supported by said pin, arms extending downwardly from. said needle and an indicating needle supported by said arms.

3. For use in combination with an orienting core drill of the class described, a compass comprising a magnetic needle having a bearing formed therein, downwardlyextending arms mounted on said magnetic needle, and an indicating needle mounted upon the lower end of said arms in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of said magnetic needle.

4. In an apparatus for orienting cores having an outer barrel rotatably mounted about a. core receiving inner barrel and a core cutting bit on the lower end of said outer barrel: a circumferentially graduated reference member supporting an orientation recorder and carried by said inner barrel and a case attachable to said member to enclose said recorder.

'5. In an apparatus for orienting cores having an outer barrel rotatably mounted about a core receiving inner barreland a core cutting bit on the lower end of said outer barrel: a case carried by said inner barrel containing a direction indicator, means for photogra hi ing said indicator, and a clock controlllng said means to cause a photographic exposure at a predetermined time.

6. In an apparatus for orienting cores having an outer barrel rotatably mounted about a core receiving inner barrel and a core cutting bit on the lower end of said outer barrel: a case carried by said barrel containing a' magnetic compass needle pivoted on the tip of a sta' having a downward extension surrounding and spaced from said sta' and free to hang from the tip of said staff as a pendulum, the base of said endulum Aextension being annular and of istinetive irregular external outline, a vsensitive photographic sheet adjaeent the base of said staff, a flashable light positioned to cast a shadow of said gendulum extension on said sheet, and means or flashing said light.

10 In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at JLos Angeles, California, this 27 day of 'March 1928.

GEORGE AMACREADY. 

